As the 3rd Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) U18/20 Championship kicks off in Abeokuta, Ogun State, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Michael Adedotun Gbadebo, has expressed confidence that the next generation of African athletics superstars will emerge from this tournament.
Oba Gbadebo expressed his optimism during a courtesy visit by the chairman, Local Organising Committee and Director-General of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Hon. Bukola Olopade, who led a delegation from the CAA to the monarch’s palace in Abeokuta ahead of Wednesday’s opening ceremony.
The paramount ruler of Egba land highlighted Abeokuta’s rich cultural heritage and history as the host city for the junior championship.
“First and foremost, I want to say that I am very pleased that our son, Hon. Bukola Olopade, is the Director-General of Sports in Nigeria. We are immensely proud of the work he is doing to develop sports in Nigeria.
“We are also delighted to host this championship here in Abeokuta, and I am highly confident that many of the young talents participating will soon begin to shine across the globe,” Oba Gbadebo said.
The Alake stressed, “It may interest our visitors to know that Abeokuta was the first town in West Africa to produce a traditional ruler who travelled to Europe in 1904. We signed a treaty of friendship with the British in 1893, so when the British colonised Nigeria, we were not part of it.”
The revered monarch also urged CAA officials to fully embrace their time in the state by experiencing the rich culture and hospitality of Egbaland.
“Before you leave Abeokuta, I encourage you to visit the first Presidential Library in West Africa – the Olusegun Obasanjo Library. You should also explore our local market and purchase our ‘adire’ fabric, which is our cultural export to the world. In all you do, take something from Abeokuta that will remind you of your visit,” he added.
The President of the CAA, Halmad Kalkaba Malboum, thanked the Alake of Egbaland, and commended President Bola Tinubu for creating the platform and the support that enabled Nigeria to host the championship following the withdrawal of Algeria what was earlier billed to host the tournament.
The CAA President was accompanied on the visit by the Executive Board and other senior officials of the Athletics family.
